Had the pleasure of walking Arcadia Bluffs South with one of the shapers, Justin Carlton, this evening. Justin is a great dude, and my kind of golf geek.
The front nine is essentially finished and growing in nicely, and the back nine is coming together quickly. Earlier posts referencing the style of the bunkers reflecting that of CGC, with a dash of Lawsonia L&M, are accurate. The land does indeed have a beautiful, gentle roll to it. The fairways are wide, but contain some humps and movement that acts as a dose of quirk.
I think that someone might have mentioned above that the routing changed from what was originally drafted. Not surprisingly, that is true. At least two holes on the back nine have changed, and from what I can see, that was a very good call. Improved the green to tee transitions in that area (which are walker friendly throughout), and created two very cool holes.
They have created some really neat greens out there. We walked onto the first green and I did indeed feel like I was standing on a green at Chicago Golf. Most of the greens I saw had distinct plateaus and/or pinnable areas that, when combined with the hazards and wind, should make for interesting repeat play.
There is evidence of Eden, Double Plateau, Leven, Alps/Punchbowl, Maiden and other templates. No Redan (although two of the par-3s have redan-ish qualities) and no Biarritz.
Although there is inspiration being drawn from CGC in particular, and MacRaynor in general, this isn't a replica course. There is originality and creativity at work as well, including on a par-3 that Justin contributed to heavily. MacRaynor fans will get a healthy dose of the style they love, and this course will be a thing of its own.
The pace of progress is quick as I understand it, and it is fascinating to hear about the decision making dynamic among the involved owner, Dana Fry, Warren Henderson, the shapers (Justin, Jimmy Klinesmith and Derek Dirksen), Superintendent Jim Bluck, ABS Super Ryan Williams, and their other contractors. That is quite a few cooks in the kitchen, but from what I can see on the ground, they are making it work really well.
The question at this point is, can they bring this project home as strongly as they have progressed to date? If so, oh boy. This is a going to be a special golf course. I will be there early and often to whip around it and try to unlock its secrets.